Chapter Seven

It was time for evening meds.

Lainie's assigned nurse, Maggie Rae, was making her rounds when she entered Lainie's room, then came to a full stop. There was a grown-ass man in bed with her patient, sound asleep and stretched out beside her with his feet hanging off the side. Then she realized it must be Hunter Gray, the man who'd found her.

Gossip was they'd known each other before, and it must have been something special for him to come from so far away to search. Even now, he'd put himself between Lainie and the door, with his arm across her waist in a gesture of protection.

Lainie heard footsteps approaching her bed and opened her eyes, then put a finger to her lips and whispered, "He never slept until he found me."

Maggie lowered her voice as she began checking Lainie's stats. "Bless him. He's quite the hero. How are you feeling?"

Lainie sighed. "Everything hurts."

"This should help," Maggie said as she injected the syringe full of pain meds into Lainie's IV port. "There you go, honey. You'll get easy soon. Do you need anything?"

Lainie looked down at the man beside her. "Not anymore." Then closed her eyes.

JUSTIN RANDALLHADbeen taken in handcuffs from his jail cell to an interrogation room. The guards seated him at a table, then one stayed on guard with him. All Justin knew was that his lawyer was coming, so he settled in to wait, but not for long.

Minutes later, the door opened, and Richard Stovall, his court-appointed lawyer, entered the room.

"I'll need some time alone with my client," Richard said.

The guard left the room as Richard sat down and flipped open a file.

"I'll get right to it. You have problems," Richard said. "Lainie Mayes was found alive this morning. She has a large number of injuries, some of which back up the police's theory that you attacked her, and she had plenty to say about that. The lab reports came back regarding DNA found on evidence from the scene of the attack, as well as DNA taken from her backpack they found in the canyon. It's yours."

"Okay, so there wasn't any bear attack, but I didn't try to kill her," Justin said. "She got herself lost."

"Running away in fear for her life after you assaulted her," Richard said. "I'm told the cops were at the emergency room when they brought her in. They took scraping from beneath her fingernails to test for DNA." Then he looked straight at the scratches on his client's face. "We both know how that's going to turn out. And that's not all. About twenty-four hours after your name was mentioned as a suspect of interest in the local and national news, four other women have come forward, claiming you both raped and assaulted them, and threatened to kill them if they talked."

Justin blinked. "They can't prove any of that. It will be my word against theirs."

"So, it's true?" Richard asked.

"Can I fight this?" Justin asked.

"You have no grounds to fight with," Richard said. "Whatever happens, you're going to prison. It's the sentencing that will determine the time you will serve."

Justin shrugged. "Win some. Lose some."

SOMEONELAUGHEDINthe hall outside Lainie's room.

The sound woke Hunt abruptly from a dreamless sleep, and the first thing he saw was her face. She was sound asleep with lashes fluttering, and a tear on her cheek. She was dreaming. This is real. This is happening. Bruised and battered, and she'd never been more beautiful to him. Thank you, God.

He eased over onto his back to lower the bed rail and stood up, then slid his hands beneath Lainie and slowly eased her back to the middle of the bed. She moaned, then sighed as Hunt pulled the covers up over her shoulders, brushed a kiss across her cheek, then pulled up the bed rail and headed for her bathroom with his backpack.

LAINIEHADAbrief moment of fright when she woke up alone, then she heard water running in the adjoining bathroom and relaxed. Hunt was in the shower. All was right with her world.

She listened, taking comfort in the sound of his presence until the water stopped, then she heard him moving around and thought of all the mornings of their life ahead. Going to bed together. Waking up the same way. And the sound of a shower. She'd never had the pleasure of his company in this way, and was anticipating the simple acts of life that came with love.

And then he emerged, dressed all but for the clean T-shirt he was holding, and she forgot to breathe. The stubble was gone, and the man he'd become was standing before her. Zero body fat. Chiseled abs. A jawline to die for. Blue eyes flashing. The same sensual mouth and thick black hair. And the remnants of war on his body and in his gaze.

She sighed. "So. You have grown into a magnificent man."

The corner of his mouth tilted, just enough to pass for a smile as he approached the bed. "I guess we can chalk it up to Uncle Sam's good cooking," he drawled.

"Nope. I knew you when, remember? This was always you, just waiting to turn into this."

"If you say so," he said, and smoothed the flyaway strands of hair from her face.

"Show me," she said.

He frowned. "Show you what?"

"Where the bullet went in your back."

He turned, then raised his arm a little. "It went in there and came out here." Then he pulled the T-shirt over his head and ended the search as he glanced out the window. The sky was changing. Evening, and they were no longer on the mountain.

The door opened behind him, bringing the scents of food with it. Meal carts were in the hall, and nurses came into her room with two trays. One for Lainie. One for Hunt.

"Maggie Rae ordered two trays for this room," the nurse said.

Hunt glanced back at Lainie. "Who's Maggie Rae?"

"The nurse who caught you sleeping in my bed."

He grinned. "So, I'm not going to be shot at sunrise, after all?"

"I told you I had friends here," Lainie said.

They put Lainie's tray on her tray table and the second one on the window ledge for Hunt.

He lifted the food covers. "Thank you, ladies. This looks and smells way better than the MREs we were eating, doesn't it, darlin'?"

Lainie frowned. "I don't know about that. That first packet of spaghetti with meat sauce tasted like heaven after three days with nothing but water." Then she gave Hunt a look. "Or maybe it was just the chef that made it so good."

"Yeah... I fed you, then poured alcohol on your feet and made you faint. I'll never get over that," he muttered.

The nurses left, and as soon as Lainie raised the head of her bed and moved her tray table toward her, he pulled up the big recliner and sat down beside her with his tray.

"I don't always pack MREs," he said. "When I have to, I'm a fair cook."

"No worries, sweetheart. I love to cook, and I'm better than good." Then she took her first bite. "Um, almost Salisbury steak."

Hunt grinned. "So, a hamburger patty in sauce?"

She nodded and took another bite, and so it went. They were down to scraping the bottom of their pudding cups when Dr. Wagner came in with his nurse, making rounds.

"Good evening, Lainie. Who's your dinner partner?" he asked.

"Hunter Gray. Childhood sweetheart. Man of my dreams. Also, the man who found me. Hunt, this is Dr. Wagner. The man with the staple gun and anesthesia."

Wagner grinned. The hospital staff was well aware of Lainie Mayes's wicked sense of humor.

Hunt immediately stood and shook the doctor's hand. "It's a pleasure, sir."

Wagner arched an eyebrow. "That was very military. Did you serve?"

Hunt nodded. "Ten years. I'm out now. Been flying charters for Randolph Charter Service in Flagstaff, but I'll be staying here in Denver."

"Good. That means you're not sweeping Lainie away from us. She is a very valuable employee, as well as a good friend. We'd hate to lose her." Then Wagner switched focus and moved closer to Lainie's bed. "The wound in your head looks good. Shirley is going to unwrap your feet for me. I need to make sure everything looks okay before I let you go home tomorrow."

Hunt moved out of the way, but stayed close enough to get a good view after the bandages were removed.

"The antibiotics are already working," Wagner said. "The infected areas are looking much better, and the more superficial cuts are already starting to seal up."

"How long will it be before I can walk?" Lainie asked.

"Don't rush it, but I'd say, as soon as you can comfortably bear weight. You'll need to be cleared before you come back to work, but take the time to heal without worry. Your job isn't going anywhere."

"What happened to the clothes I was wearing when they brought me in?" she asked.

"We cut them off, remember?" Wagner said.

"I had a set of car keys in my pocket. I'm going to need them. And now that I think of it, my car is still parked at the trailhead."

"I believe your keys were bagged and tagged and are at the nurses' desk. Shirley will check for you when we're done here," he said.

"Will I need to change bandages daily?" Lainie asked.

"Maybe for another day or so. After that, I think heavy socks should suffice. Definitely no shoes until you can walk comfortably, and then something like a slipper."

"She's got me," Hunt said. "I waited eleven years to find her. I've got no problem carrying her."

Wagner nodded.

Lainie teared. She made jokes to hide her fears, while Hunt simply blurted out his truths. When the nurse began putting fresh bandages on Lainie's feet, Hunt reached for her hand. She clung to him without words, and soon they had the room to themselves again.

"Don't worry about your car. Once we get you home and I get you settled, I can take an Uber back to the park to get it," Hunt said.

Tears rolled.

Hunt groaned, and then lowered a bed rail and slid onto the bed beside Lainie. He slipped his arms around her. "Honey...what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just a little PTSD, and not used to having anyone help me do anything."

"Understood," he said. "Tomorrow is the beginning of us again. You and me. For the first time in our lives, we'll be together and on our own."

ASPROMISED, Lainie was released the next morning after Wagner made rounds. Hunt had already filled her prescriptions at the hospital pharmacy, and was waiting outside the hospital entrance with the passenger door open. Lainie was wearing borrowed scrubs and another pair of his socks when the orderly brought her down in a wheelchair. It was gray and cloudy, with a forecast of thunderstorms, and Hunt wanted to get her home before they hit.

"Did they give you your keys?" he asked as he picked her up and settled her into the front seat.

"Yes, right here," she said, and held up a plastic bag with her release papers and the keys safely inside.

He buckled her in, then kissed the side of her cheek. "Love you," he whispered, then stepped back and closed the door as the orderly took the wheelchair back inside.

Moments later, he was behind the wheel. He reached across the console and gave her hand a quick squeeze, then reached for his phone.

"I need an address now, darlin', because I don't know where you live."

Lainie blinked. "Oh, right! I guess you do."

He entered it into his GPS and then drove away, following the route, while the clouds continued to gather and the sky began to darken. Twenty minutes later, he pulled into her driveway.

"I'm going to guess the remote control to your garage is in your car," he said.

"Yes, but there's a keyless entry pad on the outside. The four number code is your birthday—1010. Just key it in."

He smiled, gave her a thumbs-up and got out running. The wind was rising, and the first drops of rain were already falling as he keyed in the numbers. When the door began to go up, he ran back to the Jeep and drove into the garage.

"Just in time," Hunt said.

She sighed. "Home. There was a time when I didn't think I would make it back here."

"Will the door into the house be locked from here?"

She shook her head.

"Then sit tight. I've always dreamed of carrying you across the threshold, just not exactly like this."

Lainie was still smiling when he lifted her from the front seat and headed for the door. She hit the Down button on the keypad to lower the garage door as they went by, and then they were going through a utility room and into the kitchen/dining area.

Hunt paused, admiring the open concept of the house.

"This is incredible. It feels like you. Where do you want to be, darlin'? Your bedroom, or on the living room sofa for a bit?"

"The sofa."

Outside, the sprinkles were turning into a torrential downpour as Hunt carried her toward a blue upholstered sectional.

She looked toward the window and shivered. "Thank God I am not still lost on that mountain."

"I don't want to think about it," he muttered as he put her down. "I'm going to get my gear. I'll be right back," he said, and bolted back toward the garage.

When he came back carrying it, she waved him down the hall. "My bedroom is the big one at the end of the hall. You'll have to give yourself the grand tour."

He made quick work of the trip, eyed the king-size, four-poster bed, then dumped his stuff just inside the door and returned to where she was sitting.

"Do you need anything, honey? Bathroom? Something to eat or drink?"

She glanced at her little brown teddy with the wobbly head. "Not now, love. Come sit with me for a bit."

Hunt was wondering how he would fit into this place of calm and peace. This was her space. He'd played no part in her life here, but he had no words for how grateful he was to be here.

He was moving toward the sofa when a little wooden rocker at the corner of the hearth caught his eye, and then he recognized the teddy bear sitting in it.

"Lainie...is that the one I gave you? Your Valentine bear?"

Her heart was beginning to race. She'd dreamed of this moment for so many years, and now that it was here, she was scared of how he would react.

"Yes, it is. Would you bring it to me, please, and then sit down with me for a bit?"

"Sure thing," he said as he picked it up and then sat down and put it in her lap. "Here you go, darlin'. Kinda cool to know you still have it."

Lainie's hands were trembling as she picked it up and laid it in his arms. "The ashes of our son are in a tiny brass heart inside this bear. You're holding your son, Hunt. It's not much of him...but it's all I have left to give you."

Hunt's heart stopped with a kick, and then raced to catch up. He could no longer hear the storm, or the rain pounding on the roof. He couldn't see her face for the tears.

The brown pelt was soft beneath his fingers. The bear's shiny black eyes seemed to be looking at him, and right where a heartbeat would be, he felt the tiny metal heart.

"Jesus, Lainie. Oh, my God. Oh, my God." Then cradled it to his chest and broke into sobs.

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him and the little bear until he had no tears left to cry, and the silence was deafening. Without a word, he reached for her, pulling her into his lap, and rocked her and the bear where he sat.

She hurt for the shock that had untethered him, and for grief she knew all too well. Finally, she moved enough to see his face.

"Look at me, love. This isn't your fault. It wasn't our war. And when you disappeared, I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again. But I hoped. You gave me the bear, and then you gave me the baby, and even after I lost you both, I had the solace of knowing that what was left of him was within the last thing you gave me...like he was being held in your arms for safekeeping."

Hunt knew if he opened his mouth that he'd choke on the words, so he just shook his head and hid his face against the curve of her neck.

"This is so painful for you because it's new. But the day your mother came to my hospital room to tell me she didn't know where you were, and how sorry she was, her words became noise in my head. After she left I cried until I made myself sick. We've been through hell, Hunt. We were so lost...and now we're not...because of you. You found me. You saved me. It's okay to grieve. It's the only thing that will heal, and in the meantime, I'm your backup. A little the worse for wear, but I'm here, and I'm not ever losing you again."

Hunt took her words into his soul. She'd always been his compass to sanity, but he'd seen the warrior she'd become. He already knew how fiercely she fought for who she loved. In his world, it was the people who had your back that mattered most, and she was it. He took a breath, cleared the tears from his face in two angry swipes, and then looked her in the eyes.

"Thank you, darlin'...for holding on to who we were. So, this is who we are, and now it's up to us to create who we're going to be."

"Happy. We're going to be happy," she said.

As they sat, sheltered from the ongoing storm and the rain blowing against the windows, Hunt had a flash of déjà vu.

It was the rain!

Just like the day he lost her.

He'd been standing in the rain, waiting for a phone call that never came. And now they'd come full circle. She was in his arms again.

When she fell asleep in his lap, he carried her to her bedroom with the little bear and covered them with the blanket draped across the foot of the bed. As he was turning to walk away, he noticed something framed, hanging above the bed. He took a step closer, and then stared in disbelief.

His last text to her! She'd seen it, after all. And kept it.

He looked down at her then, healing wounds and bruises, curled up on her side in such a state of peace, with the Valentine bear tucked beneath her chin. She kept saying that he'd saved her, but it was her who saved him.

He left the room, taking care to leave the door open in case she called, then went into the kitchen to call his boss.

Pete Randolph answered on the second ring.

"Hello."

"Pete, it's me, Hunt."

"Hey! I've been expecting you to call. We've been keeping up with your search through the news. We know the hiker was arrested. His first alibi fell through like a rock, didn't it?"

"Yes, sir," Hunt said.

"Congratulations on finding your girl. I hope she's okay."

"Thanks, and yes, she is. She has some healing to do, but she's getting there. The reason I'm calling is to let you know I'm not coming back. I'm staying in Denver with Lainie."

"I'm sorry to hear this, but I'm not surprised. I could tell she meant a lot to you, and we all wish you the best. Your last check will go into your bank account as always. Take care, son, and have yourself a happy life."

"Thank you for everything," Hunt said, and then stood in the middle of the room, trying to decide what to do next.

Food would be happening, but he didn't know what was here, and she'd been missing so long, some things might have expired, or gone bad. So he began going through the pantry to see what was available, then he dug through the contents of her refrigerator before sitting down to make a list.

It became obvious they would order in for supper, but he'd wait to talk to her about the groceries. He didn't know if she did her own shopping, or ordered online for them to be delivered. There were so many little day-to-day things they were going to learn about each other. It was an exciting thought. All the days ahead of sharing laughs and frustrations—of having someone to come home to. It was Hunt's dream of heaven on earth, and it was coming true.

A TABLEFULL of soldiers were on base, eating their evening meal and trading digs and laughs with their buddies in between mouthfuls of food. Wall-mounted televisions provided the background for their meals and conversations, while what was airing wasn't always noticed.

An evening news show was airing a follow-up to their previous story about the missing hiker in Colorado, celebrating the fact that she had been found and rescued by none other than a man from her hometown of New Orleans. They went on to explain that the man, an ex-Army helicopter pilot named Hunter Gray had been her childhood sweetheart. The news anchors were listing a quick rundown of his attributes, then followed up by making a joke about "Hollywood will come calling on this story!" when one of the men sitting at that table—a chopper pilot they called Rat—jumped up from his seat, pointing.

"Did you hear that? Did you hear that?" Rat shouted.

T-Bone frowned. "Hear what?"

Rat was running around the table with his fork still in his hand, shouting every word that came out of his mouth. By now, he had the attention of every person in the room.

"The guy who found that missing hiker lady in Colorado! It was Gator! Gator, by God, Gray found her! Using the skills he'd learned in the Army, they said. A former warrant officer with the freaking 82nd Airborne Division, they said! His childhood sweetheart, they said! Hot damn, y'all. That's why he mustered out. He'd left his woman behind, and he, by God, went and found her!"

The room erupted in cheers!

Rat and T-Bone were hugging and slapping each other on the back. Cherokee and Memphis were grinning from ear to ear. Dallas and Roadrunner were high-fiving Cowboy. Tulsa and Chili Dog were staring at the TV in disbelief. Everyone in the room who'd served with him was cheering. Everyone who'd even heard of the ace gunner from the 82nd Airborne was on their feet cheering and whooping. Gator Gray had represented!

NEARLYTWOWEEKShad passed since Lainie's release from the hospital. She was finally back on her feet for short periods of time, and moving slowly. She'd gotten as far as the living room before needing to sit down, and was still there when she saw a delivery van from a local florist shop pull up in her drive.

A man got out, took a huge floral bouquet from the back of the van and headed toward her house. She could walk, but not walk and carry something like that on her own, so she shouted at Hunt.

"Hey honey! Can you come help? There's a delivery guy coming toward the house."

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

Hunt had been unpacking his things from Flagstaff when she called.

"On the way!" he shouted, and came running through the foyer and straight to the door.

"Delivery for Lainie Mayes."

"Thanks," Hunt said, pulled a five-dollar bill from his pocket and tipped the man as he took the vase then toed the door shut behind him. "Wow, darlin'. These are beautiful! Where do you want them?"

"They're gorgeous, and that's the biggest bouquet I've ever seen! How about the dining table? We'll see it every time we walk past, and it's big enough to accommodate it."

"Good call," he said, and headed for the dining room with Lainie right behind him. He put down the vase then pulled the card and handed it to her, then saw her eyes widen in surprise.

"Oh, honey...oh my... I think these are for you as much as for me. Look," she said, and handed him the card.

For Gator's girl,

Rat, T-Bone, Roadrunner, Memphis, Cowboy, Tulsa, Chili Dog, Cherokee and Dallas, and the 82nd Airborne, sending our love.

Gator Gray...you did good.

Hunt was stunned. "Never thought I'd hear from them again."

Lainie was elated. This was part of who he'd been, and evidence of how much they'd thought of him.

"We've been all over national news for some time. That's probably how they found out. And that last update I saw, news anchors were really playing up your Army background and the childhood sweetheart connection." She hugged him. "They love you, Hunt. Maybe not as much as I do, but they love you, and you made them proud."

"All I wanted was to find you alive. The flowers are for a special lady, and that's you." He read the card again, picturing their faces as he saw the names, but then he kept going back to "Gator's girl," and finally frowned.

"Lainie, I don't want you to just be Gator's girl. That should read, ‘Gator's wife,' but she doesn't exist, and that's all wrong. Can we talk about getting married?"

Lainie slid her arms around his neck. "You already proposed to me once, remember?"

He frowned. "Yes, and you said we'd walk that road after we got to Tulane."

"Because I still wasn't eighteen, and you know my parents would never have given their consent. I thought we had time." Her voice broke. "I was wrong."

"So, you're a grown-ass woman and I'm asking you again. Will you marry me, darlin'?"

"In a heartbeat."

He grinned. "I love how you play hard to get."

She shrugged. "There's no waiting period in Colorado. You can get a marriage license and get married in the same day, if you want to."

He blinked. "Another plus for this state beside the fact that you're living in it. What kind of ID do we need?"

"A simple driver's license will suffice," she said.

"Do you want the ceremony with all the trimmings?" he asked.

"I just want to be your wife. I want the right to call you husband. But I do want to wait until the bruises are gone before we do it, because when we get someone to take our picture, I don't want to look like I'd been in a dogfight, and have people a hundred years from now wondering why."

Hunt kissed the little scar on her forehead, then ran his thumb along the curve of her chin. "It's a deal. But right now, would you like to take a ride?"

"I'm good with taking a ride. I haven't been out of this house since you brought me home from the hospital, except to have the staples taken out of my head."

"Then let's do it. And wear your fuzzy leopard slippers. They're my favorite," he said.

She laughed. "I'm going to need a few minutes."

"Take all the time you need. We've got the rest of our lives to fix the mess our parents made." But then he thought about her walking back through the house just to get shoes and a jacket, and swung her up into his arms and carried her down the hall and into the bedroom. "Consider it taking a shortcut," he said, brushing a kiss on her lips and leaving the room.